November 1981 - November 25, 1981 (Wednesday)

November 25, 1981 (Wednesday)

• A group of mercenary soldiers, led by "Mad Mike" Hoare, arrived at the airport in Mahé with plans to overthrow the government of the Seychelles. Posing as players and fans of a visiting rugby club, most of the 45 mercenaries had passed through customs, when an inspector discovered that one of them had brought in a prohibited fruit, prompting a search of the other bags. When an assault rifle was discovered, the visitors grabbed their weapons and took control of the terminal, then escaped the country by hijacking Air India Flight 224 to Durban, South Africa, where they were arrested, then released the next day.
• The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief adopted by the General Assembly as UN Resolution 36/55.
• Cardinal Josef Ratzinger, who would later become Pope Benedict XVI, was appointed Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith by Pope John Paul II.
• Born: Barbara Pierce Bush and Jenna Bush, twin daughters of Laura Bush and U.S. President George W. Bush; in Houston; and Xabi Alonso, Spanish footballer, in Tolosa.
• Died: Jack Albertson, 74, American TV actor (Chico and the Man) stage and film actor (The Subject Was Roses); winner of an Oscar, an Emmy and a Tony award.